US Customs clears TOYO solar cells from Ethiopia — The Rio Times

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has cleared for entry into the country shipments of solar cells manufactured at the Ethiopian facility of Japanese producer TOYO. As The Rio Times reports, the company announced this on October 29 after the U.S. agency completed its review of documents concerning the origin of raw materials.

TOYO said it had provided complete supply-chain traceability data, including information on the origin of polysilicon and silicon wafers used in the production of solar cells. The company’s CEO, Takahiko Onozuka, thanked the U.S. agency for its thorough review and emphasized compliance with transparency and regulatory standards.

Shipment detentions

According to TOYO’s regulatory filings, in May 2026 customs issued detention notices for two shipments of cells with a total value of about $13,770. The agency suspected that the goods could be linked to forced labor. The company did not specify whether these were the same shipments later cleared for entry into the United States.

U.S. law prohibits the import of goods produced using forced labor. Importers must confirm the origin of materials if required by customs.

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Separate tariff investigation

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Commerce is continuing a separate investigation into possible circumvention of tariffs on solar products from Ethiopia. In May, eight U.S. solar product manufacturers asked the agency to investigate TOYO and another Ethiopian producer, Origin Solar.

They argue that solar cells and modules finished in Ethiopia using Chinese components should be subject to additional tariffs that the United States already applies to Chinese solar products. On July 17, the Department of Commerce opened an investigation into solar cells and modules made in Ethiopia using Chinese components; a preliminary decision is expected around mid-December unless the deadline is extended.

TOYO denies the allegations and says it uses polysilicon purchased only in the United States and Malaysia for production in Ethiopia. The company also said it is seeking CTPAT certification, a U.S. Customs program for importers that meet security and compliance standards.